A long wait for a wait lot

Q. Where is the parking lot for the cellphone waiting area at John Wayne Airport? I have some friends coming in for Thanksgiving.

– Muhib Razak, Anaheim

A. Muhib, it is right next door to Honk's personal hangar housing his Honkin' jet.

Alas, both are but mirages.

The Long Beach and Los Angeles airports each have such a lot: Those picking up travelers can wait for free just off-airport until their passengers get out in front of the terminal and alert them via cell.

At John Wayne, finding space for such a lot has been tough. But there is hope.

"Now that our major construction is over, we're reviewing options to see if we can find a location that will work for a cellphone lot," JWA spokeswoman Jenny Wedge told Honk in an email. "We can usually satisfy the needs of those picking up passengers by the fact that we have very close-in parking to the terminals, and the first 15 minutes to park are free, while the first hour is just $2."

Q. Register writers have referred to the 405 Freeway as the I-405. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought an interstate freeway meant that it crosses state lines, such as with the I-5 and I-15. The 405 Freeway does not. What's the rationale behind it?

– Todd Fisher, Irvine

A. Todd, you and Honk may or may not have the same political leanings. ... But rationale in a government agency?

In fairness, the fed's system for naming freeways is interesting, and the I-405's name comes from the I-5, which is an interstate freeway, of course. The 405 is considered a branch of the 5, which is why the I and the 5 and are part of the I-405's name.

The feds call these offshoots "auxiliary routes"; the tipoff to drivers is they tend to have three numerical digits.

Q. Can you please say whether motorcycles are exempt from paying tolls on the many Orange County toll roads?

– Mark Smith, Santa Ana

A. The cluster of toll roads anchored by the 73 and 241 charge the same as a car.

The 91 Express Lanes are different:

"Motorcycles are exempt from paying tolls on the 91 Express Lanes, except during peak hours when they receive a 50 percent discount," Laura Scheper, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Transportation Agency, which runs the Express Lanes, told Honk in an email. "However, they still must have a transponder."